Rki.news | Sources | Anadolu
Washington – The Pentagon on Wednesday announced agreements with several defense companies to acquire 10,000 low-cost containerized missiles, as ongoing operations linked to the Iran conflict continue to strain US missile inventories.
The agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos, and Zone 5 launch the “Low Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) program,” aimed at rapidly scaling affordable munitions production. A parallel deal with Castelion will enable procurement of at least 500 low-cost Blackbeard hypersonic missiles annually.
The Castelion agreement runs for two years, with an option to extend up to five years. The Pentagon said it is also seeking additional authority and funding to expand hypersonic purchases and support industrial capacity growth.
The Defense Department will begin testing missiles from Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos, and Zone 5 in June, as part of the program’s assessment phase designed to accelerate deployment readiness.
“We will deliver affordable mass for our warfighters at unprecedented speed,” said Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. He added that the agreements ensure on-time delivery, cost efficiency, and increased investment in research, development, and manufacturing expansion.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration seeks to replenish munitions depleted during the US-Israeli war against Iran, which remains under a fragile ceasefire amid stalled negotiations.
A CSIS report estimated it could take up to four years to restore missile stocks to pre-war levels due to long production cycles and global demand pressures, noting inventories were already low before the conflict.